noun / adjective
surrealist
suh-REE-uh-list/səˈriːəlɪst/
An artist or writer belonging to, or work associated with, an artistic movement using dreamlike, irrational imagery.
The surrealist paints a floating fish beside an impossible doorway.
Etymology
The idea of going “beyond realism” gives surrealism its name. A surrealist belongs to that artistic or literary movement, creating imagery that departs from ordinary reality into the dreamlike or irrational.
In context
this Belgian surrealist lived quietly in a suburb of Brussels dressed like a banker and married his childhood sweetheart
More examples
- Her essay examines how surrealists use dreams in their work.
- The museum displays surrealist paintings beside the artists' sketches.
- As a surrealist, the poet combines ordinary objects in impossible ways.
Forms
surrealist · surrealists
surrealism noun — Artistic movement exploring dreams and irrational imagery.
Similar words
- surreal
- Describes dreamlike strangeness without necessarily identifying an artistic movement.
- dreamlike
- Resembles a dream but need not belong to surrealism.